Written Answers Tuesday 7 August 2007

Scottish Executive

Animal Welfare

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is monitoring the implementation of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

Richard Lochhead: Scottish Executive officials have provided training on the provisions of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 for local authority, Scottish SPCA and Animal Health staff. Local authority and Animal Health staff and Scottish SPCA officers are in regular contact with Scottish Executive officials about how the provisions of the Act are being implemented by enforcement officers and inspectors.

Art

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that public art can make a significant contribution to regeneration.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government is aware that public art has potential benefits in this area, and the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) has funded a number of public art projects through National Lottery funding that have been of considerable benefit to people and communities. SAC is currently developing a new Public Art Strategy for Scotland.

Art

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it considers that Scottish arts graduates can be encouraged to live and work in Scotland.

Linda Fabiani: There are a range of factors influencing the choices graduates make about living and working in Scotland. Those who have trained in specific art forms, as well as those who have studied the wider humanities, have access to national bodies, including Careers Scotland and the Scottish Arts Council, who can offer them information, guidance and advice on networking and opportunities for professional development within their chosen field.

  More universally, the Scottish Executive’s own Fresh Talent Initiative gives international graduates from Scottish Institutions the opportunity to stay on and live and work in Scotland for up to two years. Graduates from all disciplines are also being encouraged to consider utilising their skills and training in specific workforce areas such as teaching and healthcare management.

Arts Funding

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from the City of Edinburgh Council or the Festival Theatre Trust in respect of the future of the Kings Theatre, Edinburgh, and, if so, how it responded.

Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Government has received no representations from either the City of Edinburgh Council or the Festival Theatre Trust concerning the future of the King’s Theatre, Edinburgh.

Class Sizes

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have identified which schools can move to class sizes of 18 from 2008.

Fiona Hyslop: We have provided local authorities with sufficient funding to employ approximately 300 additional teachers from this autumn and have authorised increases of at least 300 in initial teacher education in the coming session which will start to have an immediate impact in schools in 2008 and will be focussed on reducing class sizes in P1-P3. The Scottish Executive will be working with local authorities to ensure we can drive down these class sizes in a managed and staged way which maintains teacher quality, recognises classroom pressures and continuity of class configurations which will deliver practical progress to classes of 18 in P1-P3. These factors, together with the spending review, will drive the timeframe for delivery by making year on year progress towards our target.

  This approach has been recognised by teaching professionals as the best way to delivering our policy of class sizes of 18 in P1-P3 across Scotland.

Culture

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to support the introduction of a National Box Office.

Linda Fabiani: Scottish Ministers appreciate that, because of improved technology, a National Box Office may now be possible for the first time. Officials, key stakeholders and experts have been considering the possible scope of such a system, and I look forward to receiving their advice. We will consider this as part of our support for culture under strategic spending review 2007.

Dentistry

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS registered dentists there have been each year since 1990, broken down by (a) Scottish parliamentary constituency, (b) Scottish parliamentary region, (c) local authority area and (d) NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is given in the tables 1 to 4: Number of NHS dentists registered to provide general dental services, by Scottish parliamentary constituency, in the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2007; Number of NHS dentists registered to provide general dental services; by Scottish parliamentary region, in the years ending 31 March 2000 to 2007; Number of NHS dentists registered to provide general dental services, by local authority area, in the years ending 31 March 1996 to 2007; and Number of NHS dentists registered to provide general dental services, by NHS Board, in the years ending 31 March 1996 to 2007. Copies of these tables have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 43309, 43310, 43311 and 43312).

  Information for Scottish parliamentary constituencies and for Scottish parliamentary regions is only available from 1 April 1999.

  Information on the number of dentists registered to provide general dental services by local authority and NHS board areas is only shown from the year ending 31 March 1996. Comparable information is not readily available for the years prior to 31 March 1996.

Environment

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that current levels of fines imposed on companies that breach sections 33(1) and 33(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as amended, are adequate.

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that current levels of fines imposed on companies that breach sections 33(1) and 33(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, as amended, are a sufficient deterrent.

Richard Lochhead: The levels of fines imposed on companies which breach the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are a matter for the courts, which consider the circumstances of each case, including the value of a deterrent, individually.

  A company which breaches Section 33(1) of the Act may be fined up to £40,000 in summary proceedings. However, in proceedings on indictment the fine which may be levied on a company found guilty of such a breach is without limit. The choice of procedure is a matter for the Procurator Fiscal.

Environment

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide additional resources to local authorities to assist with the financial costs of instigating legal action against companies that breach sections 33(1) and 33(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Executive is examining all funding for future years as part of the spending review process.

  In this context I note that most of the range of offences which may be committed against the provisions of Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are regulated and enforced by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Any court action is, of course, a matter for the Procurator Fiscal and the Crown Office bears the costs.

  In respect of offences against the provisions of Section 33(1)(a) and (c) local authorities, together with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the police, enjoy powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices. The penalty in this case is currently £50. Whichever body issues the notice, the fines are payable to and may be kept by the local authority.

Fair Trade

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue the work begun by the previous administration to achieve Fair Trade nation status for Scotland.

Linda Fabiani: This Scottish Government is committed to Trade Justice and will continue to support the drive to make Scotland a Fair Trade nation, based on meaningful and substantial measures.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis ministers have argued that a very material subsidy is received by Western Ferries.

Stewart Stevenson: There is no Scottish Executive subsidy available to Western Ferries for their route between McInroy’s Point and Hunter’s Quay.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis ministers have argued that any virtual monopoly vehicle ferry service between Greenock and Dunoon would be unregulated.

Stewart Stevenson: Scottish Ministers have not argued that this would be the case.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its interpretation is of the HITRANS data regarding ferry services between Gourock and Dunoon and how it differs from the interpretation placed on it by the managing director of Western Ferries.

Stewart Stevenson: The Executive considers that Western Ferries’ interpretation of the HITRANS data very significantly understates the extent to which passengers on the CalMac service between Gourock and Dunoon travel to and from Gourock Pier by train. The survey data suggest that the relevant percentages were twice those quoted by Western Ferries.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what costs are involved in operating the ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon provided by Caledonian MacBrayne and where detailed cost information is made publicly available.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what revenue streams are derived from operating the ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon provided by Caledonian MacBrayne and where detailed revenue information is made publicly available.

Stewart Stevenson: Caledonian MacBrayne’s published Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for 2005-06 indicate that the loss on the Gourock-Dunoon route in that year was £2.451 million. The company does not publish more detailed information on costs and revenues on the grounds that release of such information would be likely to prejudice substantially its commercial interests.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the subsidy per passenger is for the ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon provided by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Stewart Stevenson: Caledonian MacBrayne’s Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for 2005-06 indicate that the operating loss on the Gourock-Dunoon ferry service was £2.451 million. The 2006 edition of Scottish Transport Statistics indicates that in 2005 624,700 passengers travelled on Caledonian MacBrayne’s Gourock-Dunoon route. On that basis the average subsidy per passenger in 2005-06 was £3.92.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the justification was in 1982 for restricting the ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon provided by Caledonian MacBrayne to an hourly frequency and in its time of operation.

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the justification is for restricting the ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon provided by Caledonian MacBrayne to an hourly frequency and in its time of operation.

Stewart Stevenson: I understand that the restrictions were introduced in 1982, following consideration of a number of other options aimed at removing what was seen as the anomaly of a commercial service facing competition from a service that was receiving Government subsidy. These restrictions were put in place to limit the impact of the subsidised service on the unsubsidised service.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Commission has made any statement or offered advice regarding restrictions on the ferry service between Gourock and Dunoon provided by Caledonian MacBrayne; whether any such statement is publicly available, and whether it will publish any relevant correspondence.

Stewart Stevenson: There have been a number of exchanges over several years between the European Commission, the UK Government and the Scottish Executive on a range of ferry issues including the Gourock-Dunoon service. The general convention is that such communications are not published.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with Western Ferries on a users’ charter or quality contract for ferry services between Gourock and Dunoon or Hunter’s Quay and McInroy’s Point and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Stewart Stevenson: A proposal for a Users’ Charter was submitted to the previous administration by the Managing Director of Western Ferries in 2004. This proposal, amongst other issues was discussed, at several meetings between Executive officials, Ministers and Western Ferries. The discussions were exploratory in nature and the proposal was not pursued.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Caledonian MacBrayne is restricted in any way from providing commercial services on an unsubsidised basis.

Stewart Stevenson: Guidelines were issued on 1 March 1995 by the then Secretary of State for Scotland to Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. Those guidelines regulate how the company should operate business activities beyond those required to deliver the network of services that qualify for subsidy. The guidelines permit the company to undertake such activities provided that prior approval has been given by the Scottish Executive and subject to a number of conditions. The major condition relates to the need for the activities to be carried out on a fully commercial basis, with no leakage of subsidy from the company’s core activities.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, if Caledonian MacBrayne is not prevented from providing commercial services on an unsubsidised basis, what discussions have taken place with the company regarding provision of unsubsidised ferry services on the Greenock-Dunoon route.

Stewart Stevenson: Caledonian MacBrayne was one of the operators invited by the former administration in July 2006 to tender for an unsubsidised Gourock-Dunoon ferry service. Neither CalMac nor the other operators invited to tender submitted a bid.

Ferry Services

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new vessel owning company which is being set up as part of the tendering process for the Clyde and Hebridean ferry services has been or will be asked to undertake preliminary design work for new tonnage to service the Greenock-Dunoon route.

Stewart Stevenson: Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd has not been asked to undertake any preliminary design work for vessels for the Gourock-Dunoon ferry route. The Executive is currently examining the options that are available for the route and will announce its conclusions as soon as possible.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many kidney patients received haemodialysis in each NHS board in each of the last five years.

Nicola Sturgeon: The number of people using hospital or home haemodialysis for established renal failure on 31 December in the years 2002 to 2006 by NHS board of residence is set out in the table below:

  

NHS Board
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006


Argyll and Clyde1
113
117
130
133
128


Ayrshire and Arran
97
102
113
118
144


Borders
21
20
22
27
26


Dumfries and Galloway
46
52
50
54
51


Fife
80
92
94
107
108


Forth Valley
73
82
86
98
98


Glasgow
288
298
294
314
326


Grampian
157
143
156
175
187


Highland
54
72
76
81
80


Lanarkshire
171
177
171
168
180


Lothian
174
188
197
204
229


Orkney
1
3
3
4
5


Shetland
3
3
3
2
2


Tayside
113
122
126
133
135


Western Isles
2
2
3
2
3


NHS Board Not Known2
1
2
2
2
2


Total
1,394
1,475
1,526
1,622
1,704



  Source: Scottish Renal Registry.

  Notes:

  1 Patients in the former NHS Argyll and Clyde now come under NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde or NHS Highland. For ease of comparison with older data, they are still shown as Argyll and Clyde.

  2 Two patients who were on RRT during the period 2002 to 2006 had no fixed abode and it has not been possible to allocate an NHS board of residence. Both attended the renal unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected number is of kidney patients in need of haemodialysis in the next 10 years.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally. The Scottish Renal Registry (SRR) does not specifically publish predictions because of the number of confounding factors involved.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which renal units are operating above 80% capacity.

Nicola Sturgeon: All 10 adult renal units are operating above 80% capacity.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many kidney patients in Scotland are waiting for a transplant.

Nicola Sturgeon: The number of people resident in Scotland currently awaiting a kidney transplant is set out in the following table.

  

Status
Kidney
Kidney/Pancreas
Total


Active
589
11
600


Suspended*
150
4
154


Total
739
15
754



  Source: UK Transplant.

  Note: *Suspended means the patient has been temporarily removed from the list. This happens for such reasons as being too ill to undergo the operation or being away on holiday.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to screen patients in the early stages of kidney disease.

Nicola Sturgeon: The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) has advised that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not an area where the evidence supports screening of the adult population. Guidelines are however available to clinicians to enable them to target high-risk groups and subsequently jointly manage the condition with the person with CKD, their carers and other agencies. Publication of a SIGN guideline on chronic kidney disease is expected before the end of this year.

  Since April 2006, CKD has been included as a clinical area in the Quality and Outcomes Framework of the GMS contract, and this encourages GP practices to identify CKD early so that appropriate measures can be taken to slow or prevent the progression to more serious CKD and also to combat the major risk of illness or death due to cardiovascular disease.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a managed clinical network is being planned to meet the needs of kidney patients.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are no plans at present.

Ministerial Visits

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all overseas engagements carried out by ministers in each year since 2002 and the costs of each visit.

Linda Fabiani: The information you have requested has been published and is available on the Scottish Executive website: www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/Government/international-relations .

  which lists the date, location and the cost of each visit from 1 July 1999 to 31 March 2006.

  Information on ministerial visits overseas undertaken during the financial year 2006-2007 will be published on the website in due course.

Modern Apprenticeships

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people achieved modern apprenticeship status in each modern apprenticeship framework area in the most recent year for which information is available.

Mr Jim Mather: Scottish Enterprise (SEn) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) are responsible for collecting statistical information for the national training programmes they deliver and publish a range of statistical information on their websites. This includes the number of modern apprenticeship achievements broken down by framework. This information is available in the public domain via the following links for the years 2005-06 and 2006-07:

  SEn area - http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/training-providers-top/training-providers/performance-and-reports.htm?siblingtoggle=1

  HIE area - www.hie.co.uk/national-government-programme-statistics.html.

National Health Service

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the availability is of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in each NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: All NHS boards have access to DEXA scanning. It should be noted however that patients in Forth Valley travel to either Glasgow or Edinburgh. In Orkney and Shetland, patients travel to NHS Grampian and in the Western Isles, patients travel to Highland NHS.

Osteoporosis

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence has been of osteoporosis in Scotland compared with (a) the United Kingdom as a whole, (b) each EU member state and (c) each OECD nation in each year since 1980.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally.

  Information for Scottish parliamentary constituencies and for Scottish parliamentary regions is only available from 1 April 1999.

Osteoporosis

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence has been of osteoporosis in each year since 1980, broken down by socio-economic group.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the incidence of osteoporosis in Scotland is not available centrally. Information for Scottish parliamentary constituencies and for Scottish parliamentary regions is only available from 1 April 1999.

  The proportion of the population who consult each year (annual patient rate) and the number of patients seen for osteoporosis in any year by a member of the practice team in Scotland can be estimated from Practice Team Information (PTI) data, which is data received from a sample of Scottish practices. This data is currently available for the years 2003-04 to 2005-06 and is shown in the following table.

  Osteoporosis – annual patient rates per 1,000 population and estimated number of patients consulting in Scotland; years ending 31 March 2004, 2005 and 2006 by deprivation category.

  

Deprivation category (SIMD)
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06


Annual patient rate per 1,000 population
Estimated number of patients
Annual patient rate per 1,000 population
Estimated number of patients
Annual patient rate per 1,000 population
Estimated number of patients


1 (least deprived)
4.0
4,250
3.0
3,200
3.7
3,950


2
3.6
3,750
3.4
3,600
2.6
2,850


3
3.3
3,450
3.0
3,150
2.4
2,600


4
4.0
4,300
3.2
3,400
2.7
2,850


5 (most deprived)
3.3
3,650
3.0
3,300
2.8
3,050


Scotland
3.6
19,300
3.1
16,600
2.8
15,250



  Source: ISD.

  Notes:

  Estimated numbers of patients are rounded to the nearest 50. Total figures may not add up to the sum of the parts due to this rounding.

  Due to the small numbers on which these estimates are based, care must be taken when examining these data as a trend.

  The Scottish Indices of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) are used here as a proxy for socio-economic group.

  Following a substantial review of PTI data and subsequent revisions to the methodology for all PTI analyses, direct comparisons with figures produced prior to 27th March 2007 are not valid. Further information can be found on the ISD website, at: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4724.html.

Osteoporosis

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence has been of osteoporosis in each year since 1980, broken down by (a) gender and (b) age group.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the incidence of osteoporosis in Scotland is not available centrally. Information for Scottish parliamentary constituencies and for Scottish parliamentary regions is only available from 1 April 1999.

  The proportion of the population who consult each year (annual patient rate) and the number of patients seen for osteoporosis in any year by a member of the practice team in Scotland can be estimated from Practice Team Information (PTI) data, which is data received from a sample of Scottish practices. This data is currently available for the years 2003-04 to 2005-06.

  Osteoporosis – annual patient rates per 1,000 population and estimated number of patients consulting in Scotland; years ending 31 March 2004, 2005 and 2006 by gender and age group

  

Gender
Age group
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06


Annual patient rate per 1,000 population
Estimated number of patients
Annual patient rate per 1,000 population
Estimated number of patients
Annual patient rate per 1,000 population
Estimated number of patients


Males
Under 50 years
0.1
250
0.1
200
0.1
100


50 - 69
1.5
850
1.4
850
1.2
700


70 - 79
4.2
700
4.6
750
3.4
550


80 years & over
3.0
200
3.9
250
3.4
250


All ages
0.8
2,000
0.8
2,100
0.6
1,600


Females
Under 50 years
0.6
1,000
0.4
650
0.4
650


50 - 69
11.9
7,200
8.5
5,200
8.8
5,450


70 - 79
27.1
5,800
25.0
5,350
23.3
5,000


80 years & over
24.2
3,300
23.9
3,300
18.9
2,600


All ages
6.4
17,350
5.4
14,500
5.0
13,700


Total
All ages
3.6
19,300
3.1
16,600
2.8
15,250



  Source: ISD.

  Notes:

  Estimated numbers of patients are rounded to the nearest 50. Total figures may not add up to the sum of the parts due to this rounding.

  Due to the small numbers on which these estimates are based, care must be taken when examining these data as a trend.

  Following a substantial review of PTI data and subsequent revisions to the methodology for all PTI analyses, direct comparisons with figures produced prior to 27th March 2007 are not valid. Further information can be found on the ISD website, at: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4724.html.

Osteoporosis

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence has been of osteoporosis in each year since 1980, broken down by (a) NHS board area, (b) local authority area, (c) Scottish parliamentary constituency and (d) Scottish parliamentary region.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the incidence of osteoporosis in Scotland is not available centrally, and the information requested is not available through Practice Team Information data.

  Information for Scottish parliamentary constituencies and for Scottish parliamentary regions is only available from 1 April 1999.

Osteoporosis

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken any study into the causes of osteoporosis.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Government is providing £4.4 million of funding for Generation Scotland, a large scale genetic study of which osteoporosis is one of the conditions under investigation.

  CSO has funded other research projects into osteoporosis in the past. Further proposals on research into osteoporosis would be welcomed by CSO. These would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.

  The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government supports medical and clinical research. In 2005-06, MRC expenditure on research into osteoporosis amounted to £2.3 million.

Planning

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require local authorities to achieve specific and measurable improvements to the efficient use of energy through town and country planning and building regulations.

Stewart Stevenson: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 6, Renewable Energy, sets a specific and measurable target for improving the use of renewable energy in new developments. It introduced the requirement that all future planning applications proposing development with a total cumulative floorspace of 500 square metres or more should incorporate on-site zero and low carbon equipment contributing at least an extra 15% reduction in CO2 emissions, beyond the 2007 building regulations carbon dioxide emissions standard.

  Local authorities (in common with all building owners) who build new heated and cooled buildings and have existing ones converted, altered or extended require to comply with the energy standards in current building regulations. The revised standards introduced on 1 May 2007 have the capability to deliver the best carbon dioxide savings in the UK. The emissions from new buildings can be assessed from the energy performance certificates that are now required with the introduction of the new standards.

Rail Network

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to complete the electrification of the Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley railway line.

Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland is leading work to provide firm proposals for the most cost-effective ways to improve reliability, bring down journey times and provide capacity for the expected continuing growth in rail passenger numbers between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Electrification is one possible option for achieving this and the costs, risks and timescales of such a project will be considered in the wider context of the above service improvements. The results of this will be reported in September and will be considered as part of the strategic transport projects review.

Rail Network

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements to rail services it expects the electrification of the Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley railway line will allow for.

Stewart Stevenson: Transport Scotland is leading work to provide firm proposals for the most cost-effective ways to improve reliability, bring down journey times and provide capacity for the expected continuing growth in rail passenger numbers between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Electrification is one possible option for achieving this and the costs, risks and benefits of such a project will be considered in the wider context of the above service improvements. The results of this will be reported in September and will be considered as part of the strategic transport projects review.

Recycling

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has begun discussions with local authorities on maximising recycling.

Richard Lochhead: Yes. My officials have a further meeting on recycling with local authorities, and other key bodies, on 13 August 2007. The aim is to consider how to increase recycling to meet the 2010 Landfill Directive target on reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill.

Regulation of Care

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to resolve the outstanding pay dispute affecting staff employed by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish government is in continued discussions with the Care Commission concerning their 2006-08 pay proposals.

  As a non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), the Care Commission is required to take account of the public sector pay policy issued by the Scottish government in the same way as other NDPBs and public bodies. Following consideration by the Executive of the Care Commission’s pay submission the organisation has been asked to submit revised proposals.

  The Commission has been keeping its board and all staff informed of the approval process and progress at regular intervals through a combination of letters to individual members of staff; through the Care Commission’s intranet; and through e-mail messages to all staff from the Chief Executive etc.

  All parties are aware of the need to conclude the process as soon as possible.

Roads

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the current STAG appraisal into a Maybole bypass will be published.

Stewart Stevenson: The appraisal of options for a Maybole Bypass is expected to be available from the end of September.

Scottish Executive

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1996 by Bruce Crawford on 24 July 2007, by what date it will complete its consideration of the practicalities of using the term "Scottish Government" more formally.

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1997 by Bruce Crawford on 24 July 2007, whether its consideration of the practicalities of using the term "Scottish Government" more formally will include consideration of the costs of any resulting changes to be made and, if so, what mechanism is being used for this consideration and by what date it will be complete.

John Park (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1996 by Bruce Crawford on 24 July 2007, whether it has made, or is in the process of making, an estimate of the cost of using the term "Scottish Government" more formally.

Bruce Crawford: I refer the member to the question S3W-1996 answered on 24 July 2007 which stated that we are considering the practicalities of using the term "Scottish Government" more formally. These considerations will, of course, include ensuring we communicate the work we do for the people of Scotland in the most cost-effective way.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Transport

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-1420 by Stewart Stevenson on 20 July 2007, whether bus and tram options will be considered in the planning work for a new Forth crossing.

Stewart Stevenson: Options to include buses and trams on the crossing are still under consideration as part of the on-going planning work.

Transport

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its commitment to an integrated transport system, whether it will make representations to Citylink to provide additional buses when scheduled buses are full, particularly for people travelling from the islands to Glasgow or Uig who find themselves stranded on arrival.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive is committed to encouraging a more integrated transport network as part of the implementation of the National Transport Strategy. We are also working closely with key stakeholders to implement Moving into the Future – an Action Plan for Buses to benefit passengers and further improve the experience of using bus services.

  However, the provision of local bus services is a matter for bus operators and local transport authorities working together to meet the needs of local communities.

Transport

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether bus transport operators have been given any incentives through the Executive’s current service support mechanism to operate a wider range of vehicle types to handle variable passenger loads.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Executive is working closely with key stakeholders to implement Moving into the Future – an Action Plan for Buses to benefit passengers and further improve the experience of using bus services. As part of this implementation the Scottish Executive is reviewing government funding to ensure it is directed at improving the quality and reliability of services.

  However, the provision of local bus services is a matter for bus operators and local transport authorities working together to meet the needs of local communities and to determine the vehicle types used to provide these services.

Waste

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the definition of forest waste used by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency enables state and private forest owners to utilise forestry thinning and other wood materials in energy production.

Richard Lochhead: It is for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to apply the definition of waste in Scots and Community law and its decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis.

  As a general rule however, SEPA’s current guidance, which can be found at: www.sepa.org.uk/pdf/guidance/waste/is_it_waste_v2.pdf, states that "forestry brash, lop and top is unlikely to be waste if it is being produced for a specific use and there is certainty that it will be used for that purpose." If it is certain that the materials you describe will be used in energy production, my understanding is that SEPA will not treat them as waste.